


Redemption

by Crab_Lad



Series: Crab's need for clone wars content [7]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anger, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Temporary Character Death, Cody is Angry, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Making Out, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Post-Rako Hardeen arc, Sparring, Well not really, cody is a mess, they both need hugs, they gotta work things out, uhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:27:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23239198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crab_Lad/pseuds/Crab_Lad
Summary: Cody ripped the droid's head clean off before throwing it aside, rounding on Obi-Wan with a disconcerting gleam in his eye
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: Crab's need for clone wars content [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662106
Comments: 23
Kudos: 460





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> anyway i felt the need to write this and vent out some feelings about the rako arc
> 
> BLESS CORRANBLUE FOR WRITING THE SPAR SCENE GO LOOK AT THEIR WORK

“ _Vod_ ,” Cody slurred, leaning against Rex. “I don’t- I never got to tell ‘im.” 

Obi-Wan was dead. Rex didn’t know the General as much as Cody did, but he had known Kenobi had been someone Cody trusted. Someone Cody relied on as much as Rex relied on Cody. The Jedi hadn’t even let them in for the funeral. Skywalker had been too hurt, upset, to even help them. It had destroyed Cody. Rex had last seen him furiously changing out of his armour. And then Kix, who had been there, called him to pick Cody up from 79’s. 

What was more startling to Rex than Cody being absolutely shitfaced, was the lack of tears. When they first got the message Obi-Wan had been killed Cody had held himself together long enough to get somewhere private before crying. That had been the first time Rex had seen him cry like that. Empty, broken, hurting. 

“Kriff,” Cody gasped, stumbling and clutching onto Rex, “What’s going to happen to the 212th? Where do we go? I can’t- I can’t lose my men. Rex, I can’t lose them too-” 

“Sh, _Kote,_ ” Rex soothed, continuing to pull his brother out of the bar. He managed to flag down a taxi and pulled them both in. 

Cody sagged against his chest, mumbling his anxieties in Mando’a. Rex didn’t need to be a Jedi to tell that Cody was close to a breakdown, so he got them both back to the barracks as soon as he could. Thankfully, Cody had been given a private room due to being a commander, one that Rex had been sharing with him since they arrived on Coruscant. 

“This is all a very bad dream,” Cody announced suddenly, pulling back and wobbling on his feet. “This- this isn’t real. I’m just- sleeping. Yeah. I’ll wake up and he’ll still be here. He- I need him.” 

At the crack in his _vod’s_ voice, Rex’s heart broke. He pulled Cody into a tight hug as Cody finally broke down again, begging, pleading. Cody was drunk, there wasn’t much control Cody would have now over his emotions. 

Anakin, Ahsoka, and now Cody were all hurting, grieving over the loved one they shared. For Anakin, it was the man who raised him, Ahsoka, the man who helped train her, who was like a brother to her. For Cody it was his general, something sacred to all troopers who had close relationships with their generals. For Cody it had been the man he loved, but never got to love fully. 

“I-” Cody hiccuped his grip tightening, “I loved him, Rex. And now I’ll never-never get to tell him-” 

“I know, Codes, I know.” 

\---

Cody woke up the next morning with something pounding away at his head. It hurt even worse when he opened his eyes, but buried into the body next to him to hide away the light. Rex was still fast asleep beside him, and Cody sent a silent thanks to his brother for taking care of him yesterday. His chest still felt so empty, like there was something missing. The small warm presence that usually lingered in the back of his mind was gone. It felt like a stab wound, oozing hurt. But it was still so small, and Cody didn’t know what to make of it. 

He really didn’t want to get up. He didn’t see the point in, but he knew Obi-Wan would want him to continue on if he were here. Yet it seemed pointless. He had done so much to stay by Obi-Wan’s side. And, maybe it wasn’t healthy, but he had dedicated his life to protecting and serving Obi-Wan. He felt like he belonged at Obi-Wan’s side, his equal yet his commander too. Fighting side by side together. Nothing made him happier than working with Obi-Wan. Who else would keep the di’kut of a Jetti alive? Who else would be there to brew his tea in the mornings or long nights doing paperwork, who else would have a clip on their belt for when the General lost his saber for the millionth time? 

Squeezing Rex’s shirt again, Cody bit back the fresh wave of emotion. Each movement felt like a chore, sliding away and standing. He didn’t have the courage to put his armour back on. Not with the orange that so clearly marked him as 212th. 

The idea of food only brought nausea, but he knew he needed to eat. He needed to keep going. Obi-Wan would want him to. Obi-Wan would be disappointed to see him like this. That’s what had kept him going so far, the knowledge that Obi-Wan wouldn’t have wanted him to sit and suffer. Because he was kind, and a good friend. Someone who really cared deeply for the people in their lives. While Obi-Wan might not love him back, he had cared for Cody. And Cody had been content with that.

Content to be there when the General was tired, when the General was hurting for the men under his care. Content to be his General’s steady rock in the sea of chaos that was this war. Obi-Wan was so caring, considering, helpful, it was only fair for someone to return the favor. Cody could be the one to watch him.

But now-

“Rex,” he sobbed out, turning as he heard his brother shift, “Rex, he’s _gone_." 

Rex was out of the bed in a moment, pulling Cody into another hug, tight like the one last night. Cody held back his tears this time, but clung to Rex. He would not cry again, not anymore.

“I know, Cody, I know.” 

It wasn’t an apology. Cody didn’t need one. He needed to move forward, grieve, and remember that his General was marching ahead. 

==

“Hardeen escaped,” Rex announced flatly, arms crossed and eyes dull. 

Cody sucked in a breath, the blood boiling in his veins. He exhaled slowly, clenching his fists a few times. Losing his cool wouldn’t do them good right now. Taking his anger out on Rex wouldn’t help them either. 

“How.” 

“Cad Bane and another criminal, Moralo Eval. Cody, I know what you’re thinking right now, and we can’t go after them.”

“Yeah? Try and stop me then. He escaped. He _killed_ Obi-Wan and he’s out there, running free!”

Cody cut himself off harshly, snapping his teeth together and a muscle in his jaw jumping. He turned his head to the side, breathing in, and out. Unclenching his fists, which had curled up and started to dig into his palm, he turned back to Rex. 

“Okay. Alright. Fine.”

Rex eased, his shoulders smoothing out from the defensive pose he had taken, “Good, Skywalker and Tano are already out there. I don’t need you out there too.”

The ‘and worry about you being a loose cannon’ went unsaid. But Cody heard it. Rex was just looking out for him. He- he didn’t need to lash out. 

A moment of silence, then, “C’mon, _ori’vod,_ let’s go get some drinks.” 

Cody heaved himself out of the chair, trudging after Rex. 

\---

Numbly, Cody accepted the news. 

High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi was alive. He had been posing as Rako Hardeen after faking his death to uncover the plot against the Chancellor. He was set to return tomorrow after being released from the temple. 

Cody almost didn’t believe it. 

And then Obi-Wan Kenobi had strode out onto the hangar, hair barely growing back, beardless, and greeted the men. 

Cody couldn’t bring himself to cheer with everyone else. While they celebrate the return of their General, Cody turned on his heel and left.

\--

Boil found Cody an hour later, beating the shit out of a punching bag until his hands were raw and red. No words were passed between them as Boil took him to the med bay and wrapped his hands. 

\--

Obi-Wan looked desperately in the crowd of 212th of his beloved commander, he managed to catch sight of the familiar helmet turning and leaving the room.

\--

Cody ignored all the requests from O- General Kenobi unless they were about the war. The war never stopped, and his anger didn’t give him the right to leave his duties. But Cody refused to meet in the General’s rooms, refused to meet alone, usually bringing Boil alongside him. Whenever he spoke to Kenobi, he kept his tone clipped and professional. The casualness they had before was gone, at least on Cody’s side. 

He knew it wasn’t fair, knew Obi-Wan had just been following orders but hells, he was hurt. It hurt worse than the betrayal on Umbara had been. At least then, he had O-Kenobi to turn to. Now Kenobi was the one who had hurt him so deeply. Right down to the very essence of who he was. The selfish part of him screamed, _he could have left a message, a hint, a clue. He didn’t care enough to, he didn’t think you would be hurt._ It made Cody wonder if their friendship had meant anything. That too, he knew wasn’t fair but he couldn’t help think it. 

When their meetings finished and the General would reach out, a _“Cody,”_ already spilling from his lips, Cody would simply turn around and walk out with Boil. Those sad blue-green eyes broke him apart inside, but he was too hurt. 

He couldn’t face him. 

\--

“Kenobi’s been asking for you,” Rex said once during their comms. 

Cody grunted in acknowledgment, “Report on Onderon?” 

“Everything’s going fine. We’re leaving soon. But, Cody, I’m angry at him too. But you can’t just ignore him. That’s not going to end well.”

“Great, make sure you all get off Onderon safe. Cody out.” 

He cut off the comm before Rex’s disappointed face could break him. Cody reached up, dragging his hand down his face and ruffling his hair. There was a pile of paperwork waiting for him on his desk. Paperwork the two usually did together over shared cups of tea.  
  
Cody stood, made a cup of caff, and started on the pile. 

\--

Missions continued relatively well. They still worked seamlessly together, but outside of that they barely interacted. 

Several of the 212th have tried talking to him, telling him to just speak with the General. He didn’t listen, told them to mind their own business and worry about surviving. 

Many nights were spent in the training deck when it was empty. Fighting the sims, hitting the punching bags, or simply sitting, too exhausted to even put up a fight. 

Kenobi managed to corner him in there one night, on a night where Cody was practicing his hand to hand with a sim.

“Cody-” 

Cody ripped the droid's head clean off before throwing it aside, rounding on Obi-Wan with a disconcerting gleam in his eye. 

He simply raised an eyebrow instead of asking.

“Why don’t we spar for a little, Commander.” Obi-Wan smiled hesitantly.

Obi-Wan went silent, waiting for a word, a sign, anything from his commander to show he was willing. When it seemed like all Obi-Wan was going to get was silent and stormy eye contact, Cody turned and oriented himself toward the mats. Obi-Wan quickly began stripping off his robe and outer tunic, not wanting to miss out on his first chance at a casual encounter with his second in command in weeks. 

Cody narrowed his eyes, still unsure about what Obi-Wan was attempting to do. But he shrugged, shifted his weight to the front of his feet and prepared for the spar. Cody shook out his arms as Obi-Wan stepped onto the mats, shifting into a Jedi hand to hand stance. For a breathless moment, neither of them moved. The men began to circle each other on the mats, both watching the other for any sign of movement. Obi-Wan smirked at his opponent and winked.

Then Cody, with that infuriating look sparking the righteous anger that had been building for the last few weeks, surged forward to make a jab at Obi-Wan's stomach. He let out a grunt with the motion, his anger making his movement jittery and clumsy. 

Obi-Wan laughed, “You’ve gotten soft since I’ve been away.” 

The comment only sparked the rage Cody could feel simmering. Away. As if Obi-Wan had been on a simple trip and not faking his death. Cody understood why Skywalker wasn’t told, he was a wild card after all. But Obi-Wan was supposed to trust Cody.

Obi-Wan blocked the jab easily enough, and used Cody’s momentum to throw him away. After barely taking a second to calculate, he set up for his own attack, aiming for Cody’s shoulder. 

Knocking it away, Cody reached forward, feinting with his left as he tried to move in with his right. His stance was wide open, leaving his core unguarded and unhinged. Obi-Wan saw the opening, He stopped the hit with ease before slamming his hand flat against Cody’s abdomen. 

The force of it knocked Cody back and took the air out of his lungs, but he recovered quickly to duck away from the next hit. The two men circled each other again, both of them breathing heavily in the sweat scented room. Cody met Obi-Wan’s eyes, and it was all he could do not to scream his pain, his frustration. You left me, he wanted to say. You left me, and you couldn’t even tell me you’d be back?

“Come on, commander, is that all you’ve got?,” Obi-Wan antagonized, not realizing that it would only spur Cody on.

Cody let out a yell and shot his leg up towards the general’s chest, who only just managed to spin out of the way with a surprised look in his eye at the fierceness of his opponent. 

He aimed a punch for Cody’s shoulder blade, making contact with the dull thump of flesh on blacks. Cody whipped around to face him and tried to take his legs out from under him. Obi-Wan hopped just in time, barely managing to avoid being taken out. Relentlessly, Cody swung at Obi-Wan’s face, his movements sharp with anger. 

Obi-Wan worked his way behind Cody again and grabbed him in a headlock. Cody was slightly bent backwards in the grip of the shorter man, trying to thrash out of his grip. When that failed, he tried to kick the man’s feet out from under him. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan was extremely steady on his feet. His arms came as he tried to use his superior muscle mass to rip Obi-Wan’s arms away from his head, but it seemed like nothing in the world could make him let his commander go.

“Now, Cody,” Obi-Wan murmured against his ear. “Don’t you think it’s time you stop avoiding me?” Cody pulled against his hold again, trying to ignore the way the man’s breath created goosebumps in his skin, trying to fight the way his body wanted to relax against the hold, telling him he was safe here. 

Cody wasn’t safe here. He was pissed. 

Cody shook his head and snarled, stubbornly forcing his anger to remain at the front of his mind as he rammed his elbow into the chest of his Jedi. Obi-Wan’s arms loosened enough for him to sneak out of his grasp. 

He spun and all but tackled Obi-Wan to the ground with his shoulder, taking advantage of the man’s lack of breath to knock the Jedi over. 

Obi-Wan fell to the ground but managed to wriggle out from under Cody. He leapt back onto his feet, breathing more heavily than ever. 

The heat Cody had felt on his neck was now showing on Obi-Wan’s face. Something was clearly bothering him, but if he didn’t care about his commander, why should Cody care about him? 

“You’re supposed to be my partner, Cody!” Obi-Wan was yelling down at him now. “We’re supposed to be a team!”

Cody viciously swung his foot, connecting with the other man’s legs and taking them out from under him in one go. Obi-Wan didn’t even have a chance to move before Cody pounced on him. Quickly, he pushed Obi-Wan down, shifting his body so he could fully pin Obi-Wan to the mat. He sat back on Obi-Wan’s legs so he couldn’t use them to reverse the situation before rearing back his fist to strike a deadly blow. 

He didn’t follow through with the punch, just sat there, heaving with the General under him, both of them flushed from the exertion. His red hair, longer now, fanned out on the mat below him. Those green-blue eyes Cody loved so much were glinting in challenge, anger, and something else. The ginger was smirking up at him, trying (and failing) to cover up his obvious anger, his hands unresisting against Cody’s hold. If Cody hadn’t been so familiar with all of the man’s expressions, he might have missed the spark of anger. But he was, and he didn’t. 

Something also stirred in Cody’s gut but he shoved it down into the dark depths of his mind. He didn’t get off of Obi-Wan though, instead he swiped at the sweat on his brow, and dropped his other hand down to the mat to brace himself. 

That’s when Obi-Wan had to add fuel to the fire, spitefully quipping, “Finally got that out of your system?”

“Fuck-” Cody cursed, throwing himself off Obi-Wan to prowl across the room. So it looked like they were doing this. 

“Cody-”

“No,” Cody snapped, whipping his head to look at Obi-Wan and bringing his arm up to point accusingly. Both of them were still sweaty and overheated. Cody’s throat was as dry as the sands on Tatooine. “No.” 

“Cody, I just want to know why my second in command, my _friend_ , has been ignoring me.” 

Cody let out a bitter laugh, stalking right up to stand in front of Obi-Wan. 

“You let me believe you were dead.” Cody sent a glare his way that could have frozen water.

Reeling back as if he had been struck, Obi-Wan’s eyes widened and he reached out. 

Cody’s chest was still heaving. He was unbalanced, unsettled, and he really wanted to punch _something._ This whole situation was kriffed. How dare Obi-Wan not know, how _dare_ he act like this wasn’t all his fault?

“ _Osik_ ,” Cody hissed out, knocking away the hand that had tried to rest on his shoulder. “Did you ever think what that might do to us? Do to me?”

“I was doing my job,” the retort came. But even to Cody it sounded half-hearted.

“Yeah. I know. But I can’t help but be selfish. I get Skywalker, but me?” he clenched his fist, his dull nails digging into his palms. “Me? After everything? Not even a hint?”

“Cody I couldn’t-” His eyes flashed as Cody cut him off.

“Banthashit, Obi-Wan.”

“This isn’t fair,” Obi-Wan snapped back. Oh boy, wow a hint of defiance in him at last. “You think I didn’t want to tell you? Cody I couldn’t, the Jedi order-” 

“Let me believe you had died and you listened! You let me believe you had died before I could tell you I loved you!” 

He hadn’t realized they were moving towards each other until they were inches away, both angry, both pointing fingers into each other’s chests, both panting from the exertion of their fight and the intensity of their emotions. 

His body moved faster than his mind, surging forward to crash their lips together in a searing kiss. 

Obi-Wan’s hands grasped, struggling for a hold. Their teeth clashed painfully but neither cared. Distantly, Cody realized he was backing Obi-Wan against a wall. But nothing mattered. Only Obi-Wan here, kissing back as heatedly, and the fact that Obi-Wan was _here. Alive._

Groaning, Obi-Wan’s hands slid up to push down the top of Cody’s blacks. Those warm hands smoothed over the muscles on his neck. Breaking away, Cody sucked in a breath and dropped his head down to Obi-Wan’s neck, peppering kisses down until he pushed the shoulder of his tunic off. Obi-Wan let out a breathless noise as Cody sucked a mark into the Jedi’s neck. 

“ _Cody,_ ” Obi-Wan moaned. 

Suddenly, Cody slammed back into reality, rearing back. 

“I-” 

He cleared his throat, ran a hand through his hair and fixed his blacks. Obi-Wan stared at him wide-eyed, unmoving. Cody fidgeted. This had been a mistake. All of this. He should have left when Obi-Wan suggested the spar. He shouldn’t have let his anger get ahead of him. He shouldn’t have- 

“Kriff,” he muttered, turning and bolting out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANKS TO MY BUDDY CORRANBLUE FOR HELPING ME AND BETA READING YOURE THE BOSS

They were ignoring each other.

Cody could barely look at Obi-Wan without remembering the intensity of the kiss, the sound of his voice when he had-

And Obi-Wan seemed… hesitant, unsure, cautious around Cody. The commander hated it, hated that things had gotten so tense between them. But the Hardeen Incident was still fresh in both their minds, along with the spar on the training deck. 

Sometimes, Cody would catch Obi-Wan watching him. When he did, the Jedi would glance away but that warm presence in his mind (which had returned with Obi-Wan) would send a wave of… _emotion_ to Cody. He couldn’t make sense of the tangled web, but the strongest thing he felt was longing. He didn’t dare touch that with a ten feet long pole, didn’t want to think about what it meant. 

Rex had given up on trying to get Cody to ‘mature’ up and speak to the General. Honestly, Cody was glad. The last thing he needed was Rex pushing him into something he wasn’t ready to do. He wasn’t, not really. Not yet. Most of his anger had subsided after the spar, but he was still upset. It was still hard to accept Obi-Wan was there, acting as if he hadn’t spent weeks away. 

Guilt became an ever present friend. He shouldn’t have kissed Obi-Wan, especially not like that. He was a Jedi, they had their code, their rules, and Cody had forced Obi-Wan to break them. But- he had felt so heated, so amped up in the training deck, Obi-Wan was right there, flushed. He remembered the look Obi-Wan had in his eyes when he had pulled away. 

Shivering, Cody slid out of his buck, finally accepting that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He hadn’t really slept much. Not since before Obi-Wan _left_ for the Hardeen Incident. It wasn’t like he slept much before it but what little sleep he did get had all but vanished now. 

Force, he needed- something. He wasn’t sure what. 

He threw on the top half of his blacks, stepped out of the room and walked through the halls idly. His body on autopilot, Cody descended into his mind, focusing on that warm small presence that only seemed to be shrinking. He clung to the warmth it provided, eager for something that felt like it was going right. 

When he stopped, he noticed he was in front of Obi-Wan’s door. _Osik._ He must have walked there from pure muscle memory without realizing it. 

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he continued down the hall towards the hangar. He could talk to Crash. Yes, Crash was up. 

\--

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure how to approach his commander. On one hand, it seemed that the simplest thing to do was walk up and tell him he loved him too. Yet- something held him back. 

Every so often, he could feel Cody latch onto the tender bond they had formed unknowingly. They were connected by the Force and it had _hurt_ to lock Cody out, to not have the constant buzz of his Commander’s emotions in the back of his focus. Now that it was back… he mostly received anger, disgust towards Cody himself, and guilt back.

Obi-Wan was a coward. He knew this. He was too cowardly to go up and talk to Cody. He-

He had hurt Cody. It wasn’t until he had heard his Commander’s voice crack on the word “you” did he realize how badly he had hurt his Cody.

With a sigh, he turned back to his plants. They had been perfectly maintained while he was gone. No doubt… Cody’s doing. 

Suddenly overwhelmed, Obi-Wan gripped the edge of the counter. 

“Force,” he whispered, resting his forehead against it. 

Force, he had messed up. Even bigger than with Anakin and he still hadn’t forgiven himself for that, was still trying to figure out how to make it up to the younger man he considered a brother. 

How was he supposed to make this up to Cody? 

\--

Cody was woken up by a light knocking on his door. It was the middle of the night cycle, and someone had the audacity to wake him up while he was actually sleeping in the first time since- well. Yeah. 

“Yeah?” He grumbled out, opening the door. 

And then straightened when he noticed who it was standing there. Obi-Wan. 

The Jedi Master held his head high, looking straight at Cody, and said, “May I come in?” 

“Uh, sure.” 

Cody stepped back into the room, trying to ignore the way he could feel Obi-Wan’s eyes linger on his back as he pulled the shirt of his red fatigues. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands, so he clasped them together. Cody tried to ignore the sweaty feeling of the palms pressing together. 

“Cody, I have thought a lot about this. I’m hoping you’ll hear me out first and then… and then we can decide what to do from here.” 

The General was trying really hard to appear calm, cool, and collected. But after spending so long with the man, he recognized the flutter of his hands that betrayed how anxious he was. Obi-Wan had a few ticks that would manifest when he was anxious. Minor examples usually consisted of him being unable to maintain eye contact. Another was him stroking his beard. But his fingers fidgeting? That was usually when his nerves got high. 

If he were honest, Cody was tired of it. Tired of the lost friendship, tired of ignoring each other. He was still ticked off but he could listen to Obi-Wan. 

So he conceded, “Alright.” 

Obi-Wan smiled at him thankfully before stepping forward. Cody instinctually moved back, just a step, causing Obi-Wan to pause. He hesitated for another moment before clearing his throat. 

“I know it was foolish of me, but I didn’t realize how it would affect you. The whole time I was worrying about Anakin, how we shouldn’t keep him in the dark that I- I didn’t take a moment to think about you and the men,” Obi-Wan began slowly, just barely holding eye contact.

Cody’s heart sped up in anticipation. It was the apology he had been waiting to hear. And yet, he didn’t feel better for it. 

But Obi-Wan wasn’t done, “I have no excuse. It was an oversight on my part and I should have realized this would affect you too. I’m sorry for my comments on the training deck. I’m sorry I chose to keep you in the dark. It was- it was cruel of me to do. Not only to you, but to everyone else who I care about. I’m sorry it took you fighting me to realize that.” 

Speechless, Cody just stood there. This time he didn’t back up when Obi-Wan stepped forward, taking Cody’s hand. Obi-Wan’s hands were calloused from years of lightsaber use. They fit perfectly in his own, and Cody ignored how right it felt. 

Then, Mando’a spilled from those wonderful lips, lips which pressed a soft caress of a kiss against his knuckles, “ _Ni ceta, ner’al'verde_.” 

Cody’s control broke. He tugged the Jedi into his arms, nuzzling his nose into Obi-Wan’s hair, breathing in the scent of his shampoo. There was a hint of mint and tea. So Obi-Wan hadn’t been sleeping then. 

“ _Vor entye_ ,” Cody murmured, holding his _jetti_ close. 

Obi-Wan relaxed in the hold, his own arms coming around to rest on Cody’s back, holding the soldier close. 

It wasn’t perfect, Cody would still need to talk about his side of things, but Obi-Wan had reached out first.

It was a start. 

\--

They ended up falling asleep together in Cody’s bed. The bunk was barely big enough for one grown man, let alone two, but they made it work. Twined closely to each other, the bond in their minds strengthening at the contact, both slept better than they had in years. 

It became the usual. They would end up in one of their beds, snuggled up together, after a long day. The nights they spent alone were rough, Cody always afraid that when he woke up Obi-Wan wouldn’t be there, Obi-Wan unable to sleep alone. So they stuck together, even if they still didn’t talk about the kiss on the training deck.

They got dangerously close to talking about it one night, when Obi-Wan had brought up Cody’s anger. 

“You haven’t… talked about that day. Not since it happened. Are you okay?,” he asked carefully, not wanting to break the tentative peace.

Cody stiffened, shifting. “I’m not proud of how I reacted,” he admitted, one hand brushing through the General’s copper strands. His hair was just as soft as he imagined, and he was honored he could finally touch it. “Rex found me drunk, at 79’s. I thought I had lost you and it- it seemed impossible to go on without you. You don’t know how much of what I do revolves around you.” 

“Cody-” Obi-Wan began, pulling away, startled, “You know you’re-”

Cody shook his head, “Not like that. I know I’m my own person. I know I have the choice to do what makes me happy. And for me, that’s being by your side, helping you in this war. Call it being dependent, but a big part of who I am is being with you.” 

Obi-Wan grew quiet, thoughtful. 

“The only thing that kept me going,” Cody finished, “was knowing you would’ve been disappointed in me if I didn’t.” 

“I wouldn’t have been disappointed in you for grieving-” 

“But you would have if I stopped caring.” 

The silence hung heavy between them. It was like they were teetering on the edge of a cliff, one foot over and one foot on steady ground. Neither were quite ready to take the next step yet, but they could both feel they were on the edge of something. 

\--

It was Cody’s own guilt for his anger that finally pushed them over. 

It had continued to eat away at him, knowing he had released so much of his built up anger on the man he loved. Which had then resulted in- whatever that had been in the training deck.

“I have an apology of my own to make,” Cody mentioned, sitting back and watching Obi-Wan. 

Obi-Wan placed his mug of tea down, leaning against the counter. He was looking at Cody with a confused expression, eyes furrowed in a way that made Cody want to walk over and smooth them out with his fingers. But he didn’t, instead he cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry for overreacting. On the training deck.” 

Mouth falling open in an ‘oh’, Obi-Wan shook his head, voice sharp, “No. You didn’t overreact.” 

“But it wasn’t fair of me,” Cody protested.

He wasn’t sure where Obi-Wan’s stern behavior was coming from. Both of them had made mistakes in that fight, both of them had done things and said things that were harmful. Not only that but he had _yelled_ at Obi-Wan. 

“Cody.” 

“I know you were following orders. You were doing what you had to. It wasn’t fair of me to take my anger out on you. I shouldn’t have to make you choose between me or… them.”

“Cody, no,” Obi-Wan moved forward, reaching out to grasp at Cody’s arm. 

Cody didn’t pull away from the touch.

“You're one of the most important people in my life, and it's taken me awhile to realize that."

Cody met Obi-Wan’s eyes, his own shimmering with matching tears.

“I choose you, above everything else.” 

Sucking in a rattling breath, Cody shifted ever closer. Almost subconsciously, both of his hands cupped Obi-Wan’s face between them. 

“You’re what matters to me,” Obi-Wan finished softly, melting into the touch. 

Cody slowly closed the distance between them, taking his time. The kiss here was so different from the anger fueled one on the training deck. This one held the love they shared for each other, a soft, gentle press of lips to lips. Hands settled around Cody’s waist, and he couldn’t help but smile into the kiss. 

“No more keeping secrets,” Obi-Wan assured, moving to kiss the corner of Cody’s mouth. 

The bond between them snapped fully into place, settling softly like a missing puzzle piece. Cody felt high on the giddy feeling that crashed into them like a wave, leaning in again. 

“Yeah, alright. No more secrets,” he agreed. 

“And better communication. We can’t go weeks ignoring each other again.” 

Cody rolled his eyes, “I feel like that’s directed at me.”

“Oh, it is,” Obi-Wan answered bluntly, “but I did my own fair share of ignoring you as well.” 

“Alright, cyare,” Cody chuckled, nudging Obi-Wan’s chest playfully. 

Startled, Obi-Wan pushed back up, stealing another kiss from Cody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ni ceta ner'al'verde- I'm sorry, my commander. 
> 
> Ni ceta- I kneel, a rare apology usually used for a major wrongdoing
> 
> Vor entye- Thank you (lt. I accept a debt)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr @clonebabes


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